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This was SO GOOD! Took to a Memorial Day cookout and everyone was raving about it and asking for the recipe!
Sweet Potato Noodle Salad?
Yes. I’m fully serious. Sweet Potato Noodle Salad.
I have never loved a salad as much as I do in this moment – a salad whose flavor profile (chipotle meets roasted corn meets cilantro) is at absolute the center of my food happy place and whose entire texture and form just mimics a big ol’ plate of pasta. WHAAAT. Now we’re talking, kids. THIS is my kind of salad.
Can I just tell you something right now? Cooking has made me so happy lately. I was kind of having a moment back a while ago where I didn’t love cooking and I DID love takeout and it was kind of weird when it was happening because I have a food blog. It’s my job to keep writing about how much I love food, and of course I would never share recipes with you that I didn’t love or actually make or actually eat for real in my true day to day life, but it was sort of hard to find the soul of the whole cooking gig for a second there. But it’s all good. Because honestly, I think the change of pace (last week we order pizza, and now this week we make fresh sweet potato noodle salads with chipotle dressing and have a slice of homemade orange cake for dessert) is healthy in that sort of greasy-pizza-is-good-for-your-soul-sometimes healthy way. You know what I mean, right? I lost it, I defaulted to sushi and Thai curry and pizza for a few weeks, and then I found it again.
Found it as in SWEET POTATO NOODLE SALAD found it. Ohhh my spicy stars, this is so yummy.
HOW TO MAKE OUR SWEET POTATO NOODLE SALAD:
Sometimes you just need to get out of your routine and change things up in order to sort of kick-start the system back into Thrive Mode, right? I’m not the only one?
You know in your heart of hearts that you really want and love food and cooking and/or whatever it might be for the rest of you people in the world who don’t love food and cooking (I mean, I can’t even think of any examples because what do people love if not food?) and then the crazy-busy-stress-go-go-go of life happens and you find yourself sort of dreading making meals and dragging your heels when you feel the pull of the kitchen at 6pm. Or maybe you don’t feel the pull of the kitchen at all. Which is alarming for someone who has always identified as loving food and cooking, but also okay. A temporary break-up is okay.
For me, it’s totally a stress and anxiety thing, I think. Teaching the workshops in our studio these last few months – it seriously made me come alive in a new way. But when that part of me came alive, my food brain shrunk back. And now the stress and chaos and anxiety of the workshops has faded a little bit, and life has slowed down, and Bjork went out of town for a few days (not that I WANTED him to be gone, but sometimes just cooking whatever you want for your very own self helps get things back in the groove, love u bb) and now I’m feeling like I have my finger back on the pulse of my familiar old cooking heart. Which is still, in fact, beating. ♡
Yours probably is, too. I’m sure of it. And if you’re not sure, I’ll tell you what will make you sure:
It starts with sweet potato noodles and ends with chipotle dressing and cilantro and roasted corn and pepitas.
You know those times when you are so excited about food that you just HAVE to eat dinner at 5pm? Me either, barely, because most night we eat dinner at 8pm.
But last night I got a slice of that Must Eat Dinner Now feeling when I got home a little early from the studio and only had myself to cook for. THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES, friends. Out came the wine and cheese because apparently #SoloHappyHour is a thing? I highly recommend. And just like that, with a big ol plate of Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad, heavy on the cilantro, I became that person who eats dinner right at the stroke of 5pm.
Now that I think of it, I guess it’s fitting since I’m turning 30 tomorrow like ohmygosh I’m fine tho. So this is old age? Dinner at 5pm? I guess I can deal.
SWEET POTATO NOODLE 101:
- I’m currently using and loving the Inspiralizer. Of all the spiralizers I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many), this one is the best in size, versatility, and quality.
- Need to prep in advance? You can save your sweet potato noodles for a day in the fridge! SWEET.
- There is, in fact, so much love for spiralized veggies in my heart that I wrote this post: 8 LIFE-CHANGING WAYS TO USE A SPIRALIZER.
Want to grill your corn instead of roast it? Here are our three favorite ways to grill corn!
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Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with Roasted Corn
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with Roasted Corn – SUPER good real food salad with a short ingredient list! Cilantro, sweet potato, roasted corn, pepitas, and a homemade chipotle garlic dressing. vegan / vegetarian.
Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET POTATO NOODLE SALAD:
- olive oil
- 2 sweet potatoes, spiralized!
- 4 ears sweet corn (kernels cut off the cob)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup chopped fresh greens – spinach, micro greens, arugula, whatever
- 1/2 cup pepitas
FOR THE CHIPOTLE DRESSING:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 individual chipotle peppers, canned in adobo sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon agave or honey
- juice of one orange
- juice of one lemon or lime
- generous pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato noodles and toss for a minute or two until softened. See notes.
- Wipe the skillet out so it’s dry. Add the corn kernels and turn the heat to medium high. Toss around in the pan every few minutes until roasted-looking. See notes.
- Toss the noodles, corn, cilantro, and pepitas together. Save a little of each ingredient for topping the salad if you want it to be extra pretty.
- Pulse the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Toss with the salad ingredients and you’re good to go!
Notes
If going sugar free is important to you, you can sub in chili powder to taste for the chipotle peppers.
For cooking the sweet potato noodles: you’ll notice a visible texture change when they’re ready – they just sort of relax into the pan instead of being so stiff. You don’t want them to be overly mushy but you also don’t want them to be rock hard and crunchy. Somewhere in between is perfect. For me, 5-ish minutes was about right.
For cooking the corn: this can do a number on your skillet, so make sure you’re using a high quality pan – either nonstick or a really well seasoned cast iron. The idea is to DRY roast them without oil or butter. They don’t get as browned and roasty if you have to put butter or oil in the pan. Also, the less frequently you stir, the more browned they’ll get. I used a nonstick and the bottom of the pan got a little brown but washed out very easily.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato noodle salad, chipotle noodle salad, noodle salad
I so badly wanted this salad with Cotija cheese, but alas, we didn’t have any and I was too lazy to drive out and get some. Please, someone, PLEASE add a fat handful of that crumbly, salty Cotija to this and report back. I might cry little tears of jealousy but I’ll be so happy for you.
Note: this post contains affiliate links.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best healthy summer salads page. Check it out!
Cool recommendation about the spiralizer. I’m about to start writing a cookbook and this looks like the winning ticket 🙂
Sweet potato noodle spiralized sounds like a dream! Thank you for posting this.
Love the vibrant colours in this dish!! I only eat corn in the summer because that’s when it tastes the sweetest here in Toronto, and can’t wait for the warmer weather to enjoy beautiful salads like this. Looks absolutely delicious 🙂
Thanks Taylor! Agree – sweet corn is best in the summer! I’m just starting to see it here but give it another few weeks and I bet it will be even better!
Just got a spiralizer & this will be my 1st receipe! Should I peel the sweet potatoes or is scrubbing them enough?
We would peel them!
This looks absolutely amazing. Not sure my husband would go for it but I think if I oh’d and ah’d while eating he would have to try.
Good plan! 😉 Hope you both like it!
I have that same spiralizer and every time I try to do a sweet potato it just slides around and doesn’t actually spiralize! Any tips? I have no problem doing the zuccini or cucumber but not luck with the sweet potato 🙁
Hm, that’s weird! It is a little trickier and requires more pressure to push it forwards through the blades, but it can be done! I wonder if Ali (Inspiralized) has a tutorial for sweet potatoes on her site? Otherwise you can check out our video – the demo is not for the Inspiralizer but another similar spiralizer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T72_GN1rcrA
you are changing my life one recipe at a time. these are all my favorite flavors rolled into one salad. #genius thank you SO much for all you do to my food world 🙂
Thanks Jessica! 🙂 I’m so glad to hear that!
Lindsay, your photography is stunning like always 😉
Thank you Laurynas! I appreciate that!
Leave out the oil and use some veggie broth where it calls for oil…works and tastes just delicious.
Thanks for the tip Beverly!
You can’t go wrong with roasted corn and pasta. Love the combination of flavors and will definitely try this recipe.
Thanks Victor!
Happy birthday! Hope you have a fun and relaxing one! My brother will be turning thirty next month, and I’m just kind of freaking out because that means I have a sibling that is in the next decade, which means we are all too old. Not that I think thirty is old; it’s just too old for me or my sibs to be. Anyway, happy birthday again! (From a fellow April birthday girl! April birthdays are the best, IMO! )
Haha, sorry. My name was a typo! I’m not named Abbir.
Ha! Thanks Abbi! Or Abbir. 😉
which means we are all too old. Not that I think thirty is old; it’s just too old for me or my sibs to be. Anyway, happy birthday again! (
One thing that I seriously love about cooking is that the environment is SO open for creativity! You can pretty much create the impossible in the kitchen. I’ve only tried sweet potato noodles once and they were great, but I do wish that they were a bit more soft and noodly. This recipe would be wonderful to make a more savory type of salad–my recipe was dessert style!
agree! For the sweet potato noodles, I found it really helpful to go with the smallest, thinnest possible size on the Inspiralizer.
#SoloHappyHour its definitely a thing right?! 🙂 this looks so delicious trying it tonight!!!
Yes to S-H-H! 🙂 hope you like it Lisa!
This looks delicious! I just got a mini spiralizer and I’m dying to try it out!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Awesome! This will be perfect!
Loving making sweet potato noodles, so good and I’m loving that chipotle kick! The sweet and spicy is always a good idea!
Thanks Rebecca! 🙂
This is so perfect! I have all these ingredients at home and was trying to think of what to make tonight!
Yass! you’re all set!
1. This salad is literally screaming at me through the screen. I’m pinning it now and making it as soon as I get a chance.
2. I totally go through similar phases with days where I love cooking and then there are days where the last thing I want to do is cook, clean the kitchen and wash a sink full of dishes. I think the dishes are the most annoying part.
3. Happy early b-day! 30 isn’t too bad. 🙂
I gotta try this. The dressing sounds amazing, thanks a lot
Happy Birthday!!
First of all, thank you thank you thank you for testing out the Inspiralizer and letting us know how you liked it!! I’ve been super-curious how it compares to the Paderno (which I have) and I really was impressed by everything I was seeing regarding the Inspiralizer, but it really helps having your honest, expert opinion. Now I want one, lol…
Secondly, this salad!!!! I mean, swoodles (????????????) + greens + saucy-dressing?? Gurrllll, you’re speaking my food love lingo right there!! I’m getting this on the menu STAT!! I loooovvvee all your noodle-y, salad-y bowls…thank you for satisfying my SP + bowl food cravings!
Happy to help, Hannah! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
This looks like my kind of salad, too! I love anything with chipotle peppers, it’s such a delicious flavor!! 😀
We’d definitely agree! 🙂
I’m making this tonight for dinner. Looks immense! Hope you have an amazing birthday!!!
And lastly I think it’s hysterical that you likened 30 to old age at the end of this post.
I just got a spiralizer and have made zucchini noodles, and russet potato noodles. Your post has inspired me. I’m off to make butternut squash noodles.
Happy Birthday!
Anything you would recommend in place of corn? It doesn’t agree with my stomach. All your recipes look and taste amazing! Recipe book in the works?
We’d probably just omit it.
This looks incredible and so so colorful! I’ve got an open can of chipotle peppers that need to be used and this looks like just the dish!
Hope you enjoy it, Ellie! 🙂
i have not utilized my spiralizer as much as i had hoped to..but this sweet potato noodle salad is seriously making me drool. pinning this right away.
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
We recently got an inspiralizer and I think that we have a winner for use it for the first time! It looks delicious! Cheers!
Happy 30th! It does get better with age, trust me.
Quick question, do you cook/bake the sweet potato before you run it through the spiralizer? I’ve never made sweet potato noodles. Thanks for the help and keep up the great work with your awesome blog! 🙂
Nope, they get spiralized raw. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!